Chickpea Salad With Avocado, Cucumber, Tomato & Creamy Feta

Name: Chickpea Salad With Avocado
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 400 g tin chickpeas (rinsed and drained); 250 g cherry tomatoes (halved); 1 cucumber (halved and sliced into pieces); 1 avocado (diced); 1/4 red onion (finely diced); 50 g rocket (arugula); 100 g soft feta (chopped); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 tbs balsamic vinegar; 2 tbs lemon juice; 1 tbs dijon mustard; 1 tbs honey (or maple syrup); 1 tsp minced garlic; salt and pepper (to taste)

Jump to Recipe

Up your salad game with this nutritious and flavour-packed chickpea salad with avocado, cucumber, creamy feta, tomatoes and rocket, tossed in a zesty honey mustard dressing.

Ready to eat in just 10 minutes, this salad is perfect served on its own, or as a side to your favourite meal.

Chickpea and avocado salad in a serving bowl with salad servers.

This healthy and delicious chickpea and avocado salad is one of the easiest salad recipes to make! Just shake the dressing, chop, mix and serve - and have this salad on the table in just 10 minutes!

Like my Cypriot grain salad, beetroot and feta salad, and healthy tuna salad, this avocado chickpea salad makes a delicious light lunch, addition to a BBQ, or serve as a side dish to your favourite fish or meat dish for a quick and easy family dinner.

A serving of chickpea salad with avocado and rocket on a white serving plate.

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Quick and easy recipe - this avocado chickpea salad is ready in just 10 minutes and there is no cooking required!
Packed with flavour - with crunchy vegetables, smooth creamy feta and a sweet zingy lemon mustard dressing, this is definitely not a boring salad!
Vegetarian - this chickpea salad is vegetarian, making it a great meat-free option whether you are vegetarian or just choosing to eat less meat.
Flexible recipe - don't like feta? Use goats cheese or halloumi instead. Not a fan of onion? Leave it out or add spring onions or chives instead.
Conventional and Thermomix - both methods are written in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Overhead shot of crunchy fresh chickpea, tomato and avocado salad.

What You Need

You need a handful of crunchy fresh vegetables, feta cheese and pantry staples to make this chickpea avocado salad with lemon honey dressing.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

For The Salad

Chickpeas - rinsed and drained.
Cherry tomatoes - or grape tomatoes. I love using cherry tomatoes for their sweet flavour, however any ripe tomatoes would work in this salad, just cut them into small bite-size pieces.
Cucumber - either a Lebanese cucumber or half a continental cucumber.
Avocado - use a firm but ripe avocado.
Red onion - finely diced red onion adds extra flavour.
Rocket - also known as arugula or rucola. These peppery leaves work so well with the creamy feta and honey dressing. Substitute with baby spinach leaves if you prefer.
Feta - soft feta cheese like creamy Danish feta works best in this salad.

Ingredients needed for the chickpea salad measured out and placed in individual bowls.

For The Dressing

Olive oil - regular or extra virgin olive oil.
Balsamic vinegar - use a good brand of balsamic vinegar for the perfect sweet-tart taste.
Lemon juice - I recommend using fresh lemon juice, if possible.
Dijon mustard - this adds a background flavour to the salad dressing.
Honey or maple syrup - use your favourite honey or substitute with maple syrup.
Garlic - 1 clove of fresh garlic, or 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic.
Salt and pepper - to taste.

Ingredients required for the salad dressing.

Equipment Required

No fancy equipment required to make this delicious chickpea salad!

Chopping board and knife - for preparing the vegetables.
Large bowl - for mixing / serving the salad.
Jam jar or small bowl - for mixing the salad dressing, or a Thermomix.

Step By Step Instructions

This salad with chickpeas and avocado is as easy as 1,2,3 to make!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 - Prepare The Salad Ingredients

Place the drained chickpeas, chopped cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced avocado, chopped red onion, rocket and feta into a large bowl.

The chickpea salad ingredients placed in a mixing bowl.

Step 2 - Make The Salad Dressing

In a small jar, place the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey or maple syrup, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and shake until creamy and combined.

The salad dressing ingredients in a jar being held by a hand.

Step 3 - Combine The Dressing With The Salad

When ready to serve, give the dressing another shake and then pour half of the dressing over the salad. Toss until the salad is combined.

The mixed salad dressing ingredients in the jar.

Taste, and if you'd like extra dressing, add a little more. Serve immediately!

Expert Tips

This chickpea salad with avocado is best served immediately.
Leftover salad dressing - any leftover salad dressing can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leftover salad - this salad is best served immediately after making as the cut avocado can turn brown and the other vegetables can start to wilt in the dressing. However, if you do have any leftover salad, it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Best to store salad without the dressing added, if you want to keep some aside for the next day or two.
This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

FAQs

Do canned chickpeas need to be cooked?

No, canned chickpeas are already cooked so can be eaten straight out of the tin!

Should I rinse chickpeas from a can?

Yes, it is recommended that you rinse chickpeas as the liquid they are stored in is salty and rinsing them will remove a lot of this salt.

How do you know if an avocado is ripe?

You can easily test if an avocado is ripe: gently press the avocado. If it gives just slightly, then it's ripe. If it's very soft, then it's overripe.